Who has the best pulled pork sandwich in Iowa? Find out which restaurant landed on top
Who has the best pulled pork sandwich in Iowa? Iowa Pork Producers Association asked barbecue aficionados to vote for their favorite restaurants from across the state that serve this barbecue dish, and now the voters have spoken.
Pulled Pork Madness entered its seventh year with 16 restaurants across the state competing to be named the best. Much like the men's and women's NCAA Tournament, these brackets narrowed down the competitors to two finalists, culled from about 850 nominations representing nearly 70 Iowa restaurants.
Barrel Smoke BBQ in Templeton and Skinny’s BBQ in Muscatine battled it out in the finals for the top prize. In a very close contest, Skinny's BBQ claimed the top prize.
How Skinny's BBQ smokes its pulled pork
Skinny BBQ’s owner Cord Kleist specializes in Texas barbecue. For his pulled pork, he uses pork butts coated in mustard with a mix of salt and thick-cut pepper to grow a bark surrounding the meat as it cooks over oak.
Kleist slow cooks the pork for 14 to 15 hours over low heat on a gas-powered rotisserie smoker.
The sandwiches come on a toasted brioche bun with pickles made in house and onions on the side. Kleist offers three kinds of barbecue sauce — sweet, spicy, or Carolina tangy gold.
Pulled pork sandwiches start at $9 and come with one side, such as creamed corn, cornbread, sidewider fries, or potato salad.
Other sandwich options include the Noname Big Boy with pork and brisket topped with a split armadillo egg and cheese or the Sammitch topped the pork and brisket with cheese sauce.
Skinny’s BBQ uses 250 to 350 pounds of pork each week. The pulled pork tops everything from nachos to tacos. Diners can buy it by the pound as well.
Where to find Skinny’s BBQ
Location: 208 W. Second St., Muscatine
Contact: 563-261-7445 or facebook.com/skinnysbarbeque
Who won Iowa's best pulled pork sandwich in the past?
The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown won Pulled Pork Madness in 2023.
In 2022, Starbeck’s Smokehouse in Cedar Falls was named the champion — and has moved to Waterloo since.
Smokin’ Butt Barbeque in Davenport took home the top prize in 2021.
Luther's Whatcha Smokin? BBQ + Brew won top honors in 2020.
Warehouse Barbecue Co. + Brewhouse in Ottumwa nabbed the plaque in 2019.
Moo's BBQ, now closed, in Newton won the first contest in 2018.
Susan Stapleton is the entertainment editor and dining reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow her on Facebook, X, or Instagram, or drop her a line at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Skinnys BBQ restaurant wins Iowa’s 2024 Pulled Pork Madness competition